


Edge of the Earth

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Series: Walking Yggdrasil [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dom Natasha Romanov, Dom/sub, F/M, Kink Negotiation, Punishment, Sub Loki, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 04:09:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5191622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apocalyptic and insane, my dreams will never change<br/>You wanna be the one in control<br/>You wanna be the one who's alive<br/>You wanna be the one who gets old<br/>It's not a matter of luck, it's just a matter of time</p>
            </blockquote>





	Edge of the Earth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wolves_and_girls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolves_and_girls/gifts).



> Title and summary from "Edge of the Earth" by 30 Seconds To Mars.

Loki sat beside Natasha Romanoff on the transport, bored out of his mind. He was dressed in clothing similar to the other workers on the ship, _seidr_ covering his appearance with that of a blue-skinned Centurion. Being unknown to the galaxy at large, Natasha didn't need the cover of a glamoured appearance. Both were posing as mercenaries; there were quite a few of those in the underbelly of the galaxy, and there was talk about the darker aspects of the galaxy growing exponentially. The Nova Corps was still around, but had to rebuild, and quite a few planets had been devastated by Thanos' armies.

"We're looking for stones," Loki had said before they got on the transport ship. "Different in appearance and power from each other. I had held one, however briefly, and its energies still taunt me to this day."

"Two are left, you said," Natasha commented.

"Are you certain that you will not allow me to obtain the scepter?"

"Oh, you can have the scepter if you want," Natasha had replied sweetly. "But what you want from it is already gone, and I really don't think Vision will give it to you."

Unhappy with that pronouncement, Loki had placed his spells, then bought the transport tickets to Knowhere from the closest planet to his exit on Yggdrasil. "The Collector has the Aether," Loki said finally. "The Tesseract had been in the vaults of Asgard, and your Vision has the Mind Stone in it—"

 _"Had_ been in the vaults?" Natasha asked, zeroing in on Loki's words. His lips compressed tightly together, as if unhappy with what he had revealed. "Where is it now?"

"Safe."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"It's hidden. Heimdall cannot view it, and the energies of Yggdrasil itself hide the power of the Tesseract. Thanos will not find it."

Natasha gave him a level look. "You swear it on your life?"

Loki was clearly irritated with her, but he nodded just the same. "And on yours."

"You don't value my life for much."

"On the contrary," he replied stiffly. "For this enterprise, I value it greatly."

Well. That was news, and she would have to process that.

She didn't know the wider galaxy or how it worked. Loki had layered translation spells on her, had insisted that on Knowhere they could get knowledge and possibly other weaponry she would like to use. "Outlaws and ravagers frequent it, as well as other outposts," Loki had explained.

"And how did you learn of it?"

"How did I learn of anything?" he had countered, not explaining. But he told her a bit about the different species of creatures living in the galaxy, so that she could better understand what she was hearing. She was certainly seeing a great many of them on the space stations and this transport ship. Loki's eyes darted everywhere in a subtle way; as a Centurion, he was supposed to be more blasé about the mixture of races and the commonality of it. The truth was, Loki was terribly racist, and had internalized it so such a degree that he likely could never be rid of it.

But then, Natasha knew what it was like to function while hating yourself.

At Natasha's sour look in his direction, Loki had finally sighed. "The _seidr_ is quite powerful when used properly. Of course I am a master in its use."

"So you looked like someone they trusted in order to get them to tell you that information," Natasha guessed. Loki had nodded regally, though he still appeared displeased about something. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"How far are you willing to go to protect your world?" he asked.

"Why?"

"The Collector might tell us what we need to know. But there are some... unsavory things that might have to be done along the way."

"Such as?"

"If I recall correctly, one of the missing stones was last on Galion."

"Never heard of it," Natasha said flippantly when he paused. It wasn't just effect. There was a fair bit of discomfort in his posture. "So?"

"Women are little more than slaves there. I could mask you, make you into a man for the purpose of searching Galion. But—"

"You think I'd be able to get the stone if I was a woman. Because they would think I'm weak and helpless," Natasha supplied.

"It's a thought," Loki said stiffly.

"Considering you once thought that's all I was good for..."

Loki's lips twisted in displeasure. "Things change," he replied, his voice an edged thing.

"Or is it that there's going to be a performance required?" Natasha asked, lifting an eyebrow at him. "Do you get performance anxiety?" she taunted. "A man like you, I would've thought you'd enjoy playing to an audience."

Now there was anger in his gaze. "You would be a _slave,_ Natasha. Free for me to use, abuse, pass around at my whim... Are you prepared for such an eventuality? There are whispers of the women killing their girl children if they could get away with it. Life there is not pleasant for women if their men don't will it."

"You know for certain it's on that planet?"

"The Collector has the Aether. We can possibly procure it from him. He was interested in the Orb but doesn't have it. I will need to look for it. Then there are the stones on Galion and I believe whispers had the other stone at Lusatia."

"So on Galion, women are slaves. What's the deal with Lusatia?"

"Those are not even remotely humanoid. And they are isolationist."

Natasha chuckled. "That _seidr_ will definitely come in handy, then."

Loki blinked owlishly at her. "You do not abhor such an idea?"

"I'm here because I'm a spy," she told him flatly. "It doesn't matter what I like or don't like, who I am inside or what I think about a mission. My body is a tool, one of many that I know how to wield. I will do what needs to be done for as long as it needs to be done. We're going to save the galaxy, Loki. I'll do it and it'll be done well."

It was odd to see the bald head, red eyes and blue skin that Loki wore over his body, but odder still to have him reach out to touch her wrist gently. "I will not break this trust, Natasha."

Odder still, she believed him.

***

Tanaleer Tivan, The Collector, had rebuilt his storage facility on Knowhere, though he had museum worlds scattered across the galaxy and Cosmo had been set free by the explosion that had been set off by Carina. Wearing different faces, Loki and Natasha arranged to meet with the Collector; they drew straws and decided that she should lead the discussion regarding the rumors of the Infinity Stones. While waiting for their appointment, Natasha perused the markets selling armor, weapons, tools and equipment for deep space travel. Loki conjured the units for purchase, and she hoped they wouldn't simply disappear in time like the tales of fairy gold on Earth. The thought made her smile, and Loki looked at her carefully. He seemed inordinately pleased with her thoughts when she explained them. "You miss your world."

"It's home. I'd protect it from Thanos if I could."

A woman with pink skin brought Natasha and Loki into the Collector's presence, arms held stiffly as she formally made the introductions, bowed deeply, and left them to their discussion in the middle of the vast collection of flora, faunta, relics and interstellar species in glass cases. "A mere fraction of my Collection," he told them, inclining his head toward the box that Loki held in his hands. "And you state you have items of particular interest to add to it."

"I have an item here," Natasha said, answering his nod with one of her own. "I'm told it's an Infinity Stone. Though precisely what that is..." She shrugged. "Not entirely sure."

"I have had this conversation before," the Collector said. His smile was snide and his eyes were sharp, assessing the two in front of him.

"Not with us," Natasha replied briskly.

"No, not with you," the Collector agreed. He was all smiles, but Natasha didn't trust it in the slightest. "Before creation itself, there were six singularities. The universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of this system were forged into concentrated ingots. These are the Infinity Stones."

"Do you know what they are?" Natasha asked.

"The singularities?" the Collector asked, eyebrow raised. "But you claim to have one."

"Doesn't mean I know what it does."

The Collector laughed. "This is truth, my new friend." He nodded at them and struck a thoughtful pose. "The Tessaract controls space. If used correctly, it can be used to transport others across the galaxy, instantly."

Natasha arched an eyebrow at Loki, who smirked at her. "That explains so much."

"Oh? But the Tesseract is on Asgard."

"Not anymore," Loki replied confidently. "They aren't aware of that, of course."

"Of course," the Collector returned with a smirk of his own. "The other Stones are quite valuable as well. The Mind Stone, yellow in color, enhances intelligence. The Aether is the red Reality Stone," the Collector said ponderously, his eyes flicking off into the distance for a moment. Natasha and Loki both tracked the direction but didn't say a word. "Once absorbed into the body of a living host, that person has immense strength, power, and unlimited capabilities. The Power Stone is housed inside the Orb, and grants the power to annihilate an entire world to the one capable of wielding it."

"That's four," Loki pointed out when the Collector stopped.

"The Soul Stone and Time Stone have yet to be found."

"There must be _some_ idea of where to look," Natasha said pointedly.

"Are you interested in looking?"

"For the right price."

The Collector chuckled. "I see. Do you really have a Stone?"

"The Tesseract," Loki replied with a nod. "A blue cube whose energies can be harnessed if at the right frequency or within the correct housing. Travel using it is a bit... difficult to direct if not harnessed properly."

"But of course," The Collector said with a nod. "And your price?"

"Ten million units," Loki promptly replied.

"You have the Tesseract with you?"

"You have the units?" Natasha asked sharply.

"I believe we can make a mutually beneficial transaction."

Loki had brought a facsimile of the Tesseract, which he had created using a fraction of its power. The bright blue glow within the containment unit was still very clear to see when he opened the box in his hands. The Collector's greed was clear to see, and all three smiled. The trades were made, and Loki and Natasha left quickly, before the Collector would try to open it and realize there was no blue Space Stone inside.

Changing their faces, they disappeared into the crowd with the collected units. "This makes it easier to move about the galaxy," Loki told her, "but it's definitely not safe to continue keeping on our persons."

When they saw armed guards ahead of them, Natasha took hold of Loki's hand and yanked him closer. "Lean in and whisper something," she hissed at him.

He caught her meaning right away, and even pulled her into a shop. "I understand. We're due for a meal, in any case."

In whispers they discussed stealing the Aether; sensors in the false Tesseract's housing would tell them when the Collector left his museum, at which time they would enter and take it. Leaving a replica in its place might delay its discovery for a time, long enough for them to be far from Knowhere and impossible to find.

Using Loki's magic to aid them, getting into the museum after hours without any of the living specimens or the Collector himself aware of it was easy. Loki held the spells in place while Natasha went through the rows of collectibles until she found the housing for the Aether. Its case was similar to the one Loki had crafted, adding to the idea that the Tesseract had truly been stolen from Asgard. She tapped out a rhythm on the floor to get Loki's attention, and he found her quickly. Perhaps because she was under cover of the _seidr_ at the time, but she could actually see the golden shimmer of Loki's magic as it pushed past the Collector's alarm systems to duplicate the Aether and lift the actual artifact off of its base. Loki twisted his hands, creating a small portal that he could reach through to grasp the actual Aether.

Once it closed, Loki slashed apart reality to open a portal to one of his hideaways. He and Natasha entered it, and the portal closed behind them.

Natasha hadn't been in this particular hideaway before. It was brightly lit and inviting looking, one room filled with scrolls and ponderous looking tomes. On one shelf, her eyes were drawn to the bright blue glow of the Tesseract. She watched as Loki placed the Aether in its container next to it, expression drawn.

"Now what?" she asked, eyebrow lofted.

"So eager to quit my company?" Loki asked, voice twisted with anger and his lips caught in a sneer. "I thought you would finish this task."

She curled her lip in derision at him. "I will. Or are you less than eager to play master to my slave?" she taunted.

The flash of unease in his expression was there now that she was looking for it. Natasha approached him, and reached up to cup the side of his face with her hand. He stayed so still for that, and even flinched when her skin came in contact with his. "If you don't want to do this, we'll find another way."

His eyes shifted, and his jaw hardened. "You may not be the mewling quim I thought you to be, but you will not outlast my aims. I am no boy to be your plaything."

Natasha curled her hand around to the nape of his neck and pulled him down to eye level, recalling the way he seemed to like it when she had done that earlier. "I don't play with boys," she purred. "They don't know what to do with themselves. I want a man with staying power. A man that can take direction when necessary and lead when it's important." Looking at him with a hooded gaze implying sex, Natasha let her lips curl into a sliver of a smile. "Where's the man that can keep up with me? Where's the man that can survive my games?"

Loki pushed at her chest, her breasts fitting perfectly into his palms. Natasha didn't stumble, but moved in the direction he pushed her. "You think this a game? I'm merely some challenge to be won?" Now his lips curled into a snarl. "I'm a monster beneath this appearance, and I cannot be controlled by one such as you!"

Grasping his wrists, Natasha twisted his arms and pushed him down to a kneeling position. "I can and I will. Isn't that what frightens you? That I can, and you have to pretend that our roles are reversed on Galion? That you have to make it convincing? I'm not the one in doubt, am I, Loki? You know I'll do whatever it takes. That's why you chose me to help you. Because I can keep you check. I can keep up. I can outlast you." Her smile was ruthless and cold, sending a shiver down his spine. "And that's what you want. Someone to fight against. Someone to make the struggle worthwhile."

"You think it's you?" Loki scoffed. "Pitiful, tiny human."

"Oh, I know it's me." Natasha twisted his hands again, grinding the bones of his wrist together, making him suck in a pained breath. "You don't want to admit it. You want to fight. And you can fight me. You can pretend to win sometimes. You can say it's because I'm only human. But don't ever forget, _you_ needed _me."_

Sucking in another breath, Loki's eyes flashed with anger. She cut off his retort with a kiss to his lips, tongue sliding into his mouth. He responded after a moment, a soft noise in his throat. He wanted so much, _needed_ so much, but would never allow himself to voice it. Especially not with her, who was only human and had been an enemy combatant. She'd bested him in certain ways once too many times for his comfort, she was sure, and succumbing to her in this would likely only send him reeling.

But then, that was probably exactly what he needed.

Her hand closed over his throat, squeezing gently, nails scraping his skin. Natasha pulled back just far enough so that their mouths were a centimeter apart. "Let me show you how I would control you. Let me show you how torture doesn't have to be feared."

Loki opened his mouth wider to protest, but she tightened her grip on his throat and reached down to palm his crotch. The clothing he had worn on Knowhere was less complicated than his Asgardian garb, with fewer layers to dull the sensation. He made the soft mewling sound again, his eyes fixed on her face. He was waiting, testing her, and would likely lash out with his own fists or magic if he felt uncomfortable.

"We need a code," she murmured in the same silken tone. "Something to let me know to slow down, that I'm pushing past your comfort zone. And something else to tell me to stop."

"I could simply end it."

"If you wanted to, you would right now," Natasha pointed out. "But you want to know what this is like. You want it, even as you're ashamed to want it." Leaning in, she licked his lower lip, then pulled back to give him a sultry smile. "But you can't help yourself, can you? _You want to know._ Above all else, you need to know what I can do for you."

She had worded that fairly precisely, figuring it would hook Loki in and soften his resistance. It did the trick, bleeding out some of the tension in his body.

"A test," he rasped.

"If you like," she replied with a nod.

"Would you have me call you Master for this test?" he asked, an edge to his voice.

Natasha shook her head and scraped her nails along his throat. It would be too much for both of them; it would shake his self worth too much, and it would remind her of the past. Her memories were already too sharp and painful for comfort, and she had to keep reminding herself that Madame B was gone, the Red Room was burned down, there were no more girls cut apart to feed another's whims.

"What's a term on your realm for a lady of worth?"

Loki blinked in confusion. "We simply call the highborn jarls Lady or Lord."

"No ranks?"

"Not as on your realm," he answered. After a moment's hesitation, he let his hands fall to her hips, fingers resting lightly over the curve of her flesh. "Would there be a term on your world that we might use for this exercise? It is a practice from Midgard, after all."

Laughing lightly, Natasha tried not to let her insides roil too much. "I once was nicknamed Tsarina. It could be translated as princess or queen." She could see in his eyes that he would translate it as queen if she trod carefully enough, if she gave him reason to value her. "Should I call you my Prince?" she purred.

A shiver ran through him. "A prince would not subject himself to such debasement."

"For when you must control me on Galion," Natasha murmured gently. "When I become your slave to find the stone."

Loki's hands on her hips tightened, and he pulled her roughly against him. "You tease and taunt me, mortal. That's foolish. I could destroy you a thousand times."

There was no heat in his words, no true anger. 

"Call out Master if you need things to end," Natasha murmured, starting to undo his shirt. "That would jar both of us out of any scene we do."

Though he didn't really understand the terminology, he cautiously nodded. "Because I would not willingly call you that."

"Exactly. And I wouldn't say that to you."

"On Galion..."

"My Lord," she said, continuing to undo his shirt. "Sire. Prince, if you like."

"I like," Loki rasped, eyes fixed on hers. As Thor's brother, he would have been a Prince on Asgard. For his crimes, he had been locked away. Thor had said Loki's prison was comfortable, as befitting his station due to Frigga's influence, but it had been a prison nonetheless. No one would have called him Prince there.

"To slow it down," Natasha prompted. "Do you need that?"

"I don't know. And right now, I don't care." That was all the warning Natasha got before he grabbed her and kissed her viciously on the mouth, frustrated desire in every movement. She seized the shirt he wore and yanked down, trapping his arms within its sleeves, holding them away from her. There was a soft noise in his throat, perhaps a protest, but he didn't struggle too hard against her.

Natasha broke the kiss and then moved to bite his shoulder hard. Loki actually yelped in surprise, frowning at her. "I didn't give you permission to kiss me, did I, Loki?"

He sneered at her. "As if I would ask for it."

Her lips curled into a smile. "Then you need to be punished for overstepping."

"You would dare—"

"Unless you want to end this," Natasha purred, confident he wouldn't. "You know how to end it if this is too much for you."

Loki sulked, but relented. "I do not."

"Then I am in control." His mulish expression clearly showed his impatience with that, but she grasped his chin and sharply tilted his head up. "Say it. Or we don't do this."

His lip curled into a sneer, but she held his gaze with an impassive expression. His eyes shifted away from hers after a long moment. "I will submit to the Tsarina."

Natasha gifted him with a magnanimous smile. "Very well. Formal parameters will be set, of course. It wouldn't do to have you think we're overstepping bounds."

"Rules," he sneered.

"And punishment if you break them," she agreed, reaching down between his legs to stroke his burgeoning cock through his clothing. "As well as rewards for compliance."

Loki sucked in a breath, fixing his gaze back on hers. "And what are your rules, Tsarina?"

"I want you on your knees in front of me," Natasha declared, raking her nails across his clothed bulge. "Head down, awaiting my orders. And you will do it without hesitation. If you hesitate, there will be punishment. That will determined by the severity of your infraction. Outright disobey me, and the punishment will be severe indeed." Now she pulled her hand away and stood up abruptly. "Do you understand?"

Loki's pulse leapt in his throat, and he abruptly dropped his head. "Yes, Tsarina."

Natasha let her hand fall to the back of his head. "Very good, Loki," she purred. "You like it when I touch you, don't you? When I pet you? When I touch your skin?" Her hand slid down the back of his neck, to the slope of his bared shoulders. His breathing was ragged, and he made a soft sound, almost like a helpless mewl. "You may answer me, Loki."

"Yes, Tsarina." His voice was a little hoarse, and it looked as though he was straining against the trousers. He hadn't moved at all, though he easily could have ripped the shirt sleeves and freed his arms. Though he railed at strictures, he seemed to enjoy them, too. This was new, and she would have to keep it interesting.

Good thing that was easy for her to do.

"Touch isn't acceptable on Asgard, is it? Rigidly defined and moderated, I gather?" Loki nodded and swallowed, head still bowed. "But you want it. You crave it." She knelt down beside him and ran her hands over his back and chest, her breath falling onto the bare skin of his arm. "Your taunts drive Thor nuts. He hits you then, doesn't he? When he touches you, you're real. When he reacts, you exist. You're alive then."

Loki jerked his head up, eyes wild and lips parted. "You—"

Natasha yanked her hands away from his chest and grabbed his hair. "I didn't tell you to look at me, Loki." She pulled his head back sharply, exposing the line of his throat. He looked so vulnerable, and she was sure he would hate her for this later. But he wasn't calling the safe word, and there was a broken expression on his face.

So powerful, so proud, and so needy at the same time. She shouldn't have been grateful for her Red Room training, but she likely would never be able to manipulate him if she didn't have it. Tony said he was a full tilt diva, but there was more than that beneath that mask. It was all they saw on Asgard, the reckless magic user that defied their rules to try to govern the kingdom. She could see that he would have no patience for it, but it was the challenge of it, the push and pull and reaction from others that he wanted. Thor had said he was adopted, that Loki's rage had gotten out of hand after he found out. She suspected that he had felt like the odd one out, and discovering the adoption and deception pushed that feeling to the fore.

"If touch is a reward, absence of touch is a definite punishment," Natasha told him in a cold tone. There was a distinct flare of panic in his eyes for an instant before it was masked.

Gotcha.

"As if that matters to me," Loki retorted.

"And I didn't give you permission to speak to me in that way." Natasha smiled coldly, cruelly, rather like the way he had smiled at her on the helicarrier. "So you will create a box. It will be just big enough for you to kneel in, and it will enclose you entirely."

"I will not!" Loki snapped.

"Or this ends before it even begins," Natasha continued.

He was so still, for a moment Natasha thought he would tap out. Then his eyes slid away from hers, and she caught a shimmer out of the corner of her eye. She let go of his hair and stepped back. There was a box there, shaped like an old fashioned steamer trunk, its sides shimmering and looking like scifi movie force fields. "Make the sides opaque and that will work."

A lengthy pause, and then he did so. "Natasha," he rasped.

"Incorrect," she snapped in a harsh tone. "More time in the box." For a split second, she was horrified to realize she was acting like Madame B had once upon a time, and she almost wanted to throw up.

Loki wasn't even breathing for a moment, but then he hung his head down and knee-walked his way into the box. His breaths were stilted, shallow, as if this entire exercise was terrifying or painful. The box was entirely black now, like a starless night, and apparently it was something he didn't particularly enjoy. In a human, she would have thought this would trigger a panic attack.

Natasha let the box's door swing shut, and decided she would keep it shut for less time than she originally planned. Instead of five minutes per infraction, she only did one minute.

It was enough that when she opened the door to the box, his eyes were squeezed shut, his breathing was even more shallow than before, and every muscle was taut with tension. He wasn't crying, and likely would have called out the safe word if it approached that point.

Physically pulling him out of the box was difficult, but Natasha did it, hands sliding across his arms and chest. She made nonsensical murmuring noises and whispered how good he took his punishment, how well he stayed still. The praise seemed to help settle his breathing, but his eyes were still shut tightly. Dark and absence of touch, then. She could definitely work with that as a punishment. She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about marking or physical discipline, though some marks had been.

She removed his clothing gradually, making sure to massage his skin as it was bared. The touch helped calm him, and his flaccid cock soon jerked and began to fill. By the time she had him completely naked and stretched out on the floor, it was at full attention. "This was difficult, and especially for a first time," Natasha murmured, reaching out to grasp it in her hand. Her other continued to massage his chest, a fingernail lightly brushing across a flat nipple. His eyes flew open at that, but he remained silent. "But I think we have an understanding now, don't we?"

"This is how you would torture me?" he rasped.

"Is this torture?" she asked, lips quirked slightly as she gave his cock a squeeze.

"No, Tsarina," he replied, voice still raw.

Natasha gave him a wide, pleased smile. "Very good, Loki," she purred. She began to stroke his cock, suppressing a laugh at his groan. "You learned these rules very quickly. I'm pleased with how sharp your mind is." His hips jerked, and there was an odd light in his eyes. Oh, yes, he was starved for touch and praise. "And you accepted the discipline, and took it very well. My point was made, was it not?"

"Yes, Tsarina," Loki replied.

Pleased with the bonelessness of his body, Natasha dipped her head down to lick the tip of his cock as she worked its length with her hand. "So a reward for you before we end the scene, for completing the task."

"Please, Tsarina," he rasped when she made no move to do anything else. "Please," he whispered as his eyes slid shut. "Please."

"What do you need, Loki?" she asked gently, breath warm over the glistening head of his cock.

"The reward," he whimpered. "Please."

"Do you know what it should be?" she asked with a teasing lilt. "Or do you trust me to determine that for you?"

"I trust you," he said immediately. "Please."

She didn't think he was lying about this. He was oddly vulnerable beneath her hands, loose and reduced to raw nerve endings. It was easiest to take his cock into her mouth, to suck and lick and tease, to use her hands to massage his balls and the cleft of his ass, to touch whatever bare skin that she could. Loki came with a sobbing sound, his hands in tight fists at his sides. She realized that she never gave him permission to touch her, and he instinctively hadn't even tried. Natasha straddled him then, and licked his lips and the tip of his nose in a playful manner. That startled him enough to open his eyes and take in her sweet smile.

"We're done for today, Loki. You did well."

He blinked in surprise. "That— Is that what you spoke of?"

"There are all different ways to do this. How do you feel?"

Loki paused, visibly processing his thoughts before speaking. "Curious for more," he said finally, voice even. "It was not... displeasing," he added at her questioning expression. "I expected this to unman me."

"I may control what you experience, but you control when it starts and stops. You ceded only as much control as you were willing to give."

That sank in, and then he pulled her down on top of him as he rolled over. The move pressed her down to the floor beneath him, and it happened faster than she would have expected. His smile was sharp as an edged blade, full of teeth, and mischief was in his eyes. "You please me, Natasha," he said, his voice a possessive growl. "There are depths your archer never knew of, never could have dreamed of. Your friends are fools if they thought they knew you."

"Do you think you know me?" she challenged.

"I think I will enjoy learning you."

Loki ripped apart her clothes to expose her skin. He mouthed her flesh, and was impatient with her efforts to assist or touch him. "No," he finally growled. "I want _this._ You pliant, here for my touch."

"Make me stay still, then. I'm not your wind up doll."

He grinned at her prickly tone. "No, you are not." Loki didn't elaborate further, just dropped his head down to suckle a breast. He caught her hands when she tried to run them down his back or into his hair, and held them down at her sides. _"Stay still,"_ he growled, though his eyes were alight with desire.

It was a challenge he wanted, then, Natasha realized. Someone to respond to, someone to push against, someone to push him when it was necessary. Someone not afraid of or for him. Someone willing and able to put him into his place, yet wasn't enough of a threat to truly hurt him.

Oh yes, he had been correct in saying she was exactly what he needed for this mission.

His edged smile was still on his face when he looked up at her, his hair falling across his face. "I will taste you. I will touch you. I will be inside of you." There was an intensity to his voice, a possessiveness in his gaze. "I will give you pleasure even as I take it from you."

She matched his smile, which seemed to startle him for a moment. "Oh, yes, I remember that talented mouth of yours."

He suckled on a breast and let go of one hand to drag his fingers through the red curls between her legs. This time he didn't shrug off her touch on his shoulder or cupping the back of his neck. This time, he seemed to welcome it, and eagerly licked and mouthed his way down. He licked her clit as he pumped his slicked fingers inside of her, bringing her rather embarrassingly quickly to orgasm. At that point, he took his mouth from her and reared up to kneel between her spread thighs, fingers still moving inside her. Natasha was reaching down and could only stroke his knees. "Loki," she prompted, when he seemed transfixed by the sight of her spread open in front of him.

That was enough for him to lift her onto his thighs, tilting up her hips and allowing him to slide his cock all the way into her. Natasha made a soft humming sound of pleasure, and reached up to run her fingertips across his stomach. "There you are," she murmured.

Loki's answering smile was feral and definitely possessive. "Indeed," he growled, then started to fuck her in earnest. He liked it when she grabbed him, when she raked her nails hard down his back, enough that she was sure he would have welts later. His mouth on hers was rough, edged, a struggle for dominance that neither was willing to lose. Natasha moved against him, fucking back into him, making him gasp for breath and shudder as she tightened around him. Her laughter was more of a strangled mewl of pleasure, and Loki bore down harder. He came first, hips stuttering and his breath hissing in through his teeth. Unwilling to leave her hovering so close to another orgasm, he reached between their bodies and rubbed her clit until she cried out and came, nails digging into his back.

He sagged down on top of her afterward, breathing erratic. "This pleases me," he said after a moment, when he could breathe normally again.

"You know," Natasha began in a thoughtful tone, "I think this will work."

Two stones down, four to go.

The End


End file.
